Thaw
by Liselle129
Summary: Roxanne dwells on the collapse of her world the night after dumping Megamind.  In the rain.  I now realize that many versions of this have been done, but I think my take is different, and I came up with it on my own, right after seeing the movie.


Disclaimer: I do not own Megamind. That belongs to Dreamworks, etc.

Author's Note: Yes, I know, I should be working on my multi-chapter stories, but I had this idea after seeing the movie that just wouldn't let go. Maybe publishing it will clear my mind. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, genuinely enjoying both the humor and the romance. Then again, maybe I just have a soft spot for blue-skinned villains (those of you following my Kim Possible stories will no doubt understand that). I know this has been done, but I swear I came up with it independently.

**Thaw**

Cold and wet, Roxanne Ritchi made it back to her apartment without any recollection of how she got there. She took a shower to warm up, then sat on the couch with a cup of cocoa, wrapped in both a robe and a blanket. She was beginning to suspect that at least part of the chill she felt came from inside of her.

It was difficult to be here, surrounded by the notes that had eventually led her to figure out Megamind's plan. How ironic, that the very person she'd been bouncing ideas off was the one who could have told her everything in the first place.

She'd been avoiding thinking about her situation ever since she'd left Megamind standing in the rain, but as difficult as it was, she knew it was time to do some serious evaluation. Taking a deep breath, Roxanne began reviewing the events of the evening in chronological order, just like a good journalist should.

First, there had been the realization of the Titan project, Megamind trying to re-create a new hero to fight. Then there had been the unexpected visit of Titan himself (aka Hal), who'd flown her through the city and scared her half to death. Finally, there was the revelation that Bernard, the man she'd been spending a lot of time with lately, was none other than…_him_.

Without warning, Roxanne burst into tears. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried, but somehow, this was just too much. She felt betrayed and used and foolish. After finally finding someone that she thought understood her, someone who made her feel special, he turned out to be a complete fraud. That was really the crux of the matter, wasn't it? She had fallen in love with a lie.

Or had she? As the tears subsided, she began to reconsider. If she were honest with herself, she probably would not have enjoyed the real Bernard's company half as much. The two of them had shared secrets, and looking back, she knew without a doubt that everything he'd said to her – the important things, anyway – had been absolutely true. Yes, he'd worn a disguise, but would he ever have gotten close to her otherwise? Well, except for the abductions, of course.

Even when Megamind was making a habit of kidnapping her, she had to admit that he'd never actually hurt her. Truthfully, she'd never even been afraid of him. Hadn't she been essentially making fun of his threats that last time? If she'd truly believed that he was dangerous, she wouldn't have been that nonchalant about everything. When he'd actually succeeded in destroying Metroman, it had come as a complete shock to her – and to Megamind, too, by all appearances.

That brought up an interesting thought – had Megamind selected her as his target because he enjoyed her company? She'd always assumed it was either because she was a prominent figure in the community or because of the rumors that she and Metroman were a couple. Certainly, Megamind's sole motivation for abducting her seemed to be to force confrontations with Metroman. Given how poorly he'd handled things after taking over the city, Roxanne could well believe that Megamind hadn't had a plan for _after_ he succeeded because he hadn't actually expected there to _be _an after.

So what had all those battles been? Some kind of intellectual exercise? And now Megamind missed that, so he'd created a new nemesis.

Roxanne shuddered involuntarily. Hal – or Titan, as he now seemed to prefer – really _did_ scare her. She was fairly certain she'd have nightmares about falling for many nights to come. She had to admit that she hadn't known Hal all that well when he was just her cameraman, but she'd thought he was likeable and harmless enough. Now, though, he was anything _but_ harmless. He seemed to have no conscience at all, and she had no doubt that he would hurt anyone to get what he wanted.

For a moment, she actually found herself worrying that Megamind didn't know what he was getting himself into. Titan wouldn't hold back the way Metroman had. If Titan won the next battle, he wouldn't settle for handing Megamind over to the authorities; he'd finish him.

Roxanne didn't want to care; she really didn't. Megamind had screwed up her city and betrayed her personally. At the same time…she'd gone and fallen in love with him. She'd done so unknowingly, of course, but that didn't change the facts of the matter. It was not the mask that had charmed her; that was just what allowed her close enough to be charmed. Hadn't she just told him, this very evening, that she would still feel the same way about him if he looked completely different? Had she really meant that? As much as she might try to tell herself that things were different now, that was just a rationalization. She had a more complete picture now, certainly, and she needed some time to reconcile all of the facts with each other.

"I have loved a man and lost him twice," she murmured aloud, paraphrasing her namesake from the play _Cyrano de Bergerac_.

In her memory, she again heard the heartbreaking honesty of the single word, "No," when she'd asked if Megamind had really thought they could be together. There had been real pain and loss in those big, green eyes just before he turned away.

It had all been real to him, even though he had to have realized that he couldn't keep up the charade indefinitely. He'd known this day would come, but he'd pursued her anyway. That took a special kind of bravery. A masochistic kind, perhaps, but still.

And that kiss…no. She needed a little more distance before she was ready to dwell on _that_. Decisively, she stood up and rinsed out her mug. Her first priority was to save the city from Titan and Megamind, and she was now completely on her own. If she could accomplish that, there would be time for personal reflections later. Unlike the Roxanne of literature, she still had a chance to get her man back – if she decided she wanted to. However, that was a decision best undertaken when she was well rested.

As she drifted into an exhausted slumber, she was sure of only two things. First, it had been (and still was) real to her, too. Second, she had no idea what to do about it.

* * *

Author's Note: Honestly, this sounded better in my head, but I hope it didn't turn out too badly. The Cyrano parallels seemed obvious, especially when I considered Roxanne's name, so I decided to work that in. For those sticklers for accuracy, the actual final line of the play is, "I am the only woman in the world who has loved a man and lost him…twice."


End file.
